


Clever, Coy, and Kind

by Thebrokentardis



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Eventual Romance, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Maes Hughes Lives, and cause he lives shit gets done real fast, it's a genre I call: Fun and Anxious with Conspiracy for added Spice TM, no human transmutation au, no military au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:34:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28421787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thebrokentardis/pseuds/Thebrokentardis
Summary: When Lieutenant Colonel Mustang walks in on the young Elric brothers about to attempt human transmutation he successfully changes their mind about going through with it, and with that changes all their futures.Ed and Al become alchemists for the people, but this time the military has no reason to keep them alive! With Roy Mustang as their ally, and Maes Hughes uncovering conspiracies faster than ever a completely different adventure (and romance?) takes place.
Relationships: Alphonse Elric & Edward Elric & Roy Mustang, Alphonse Elric & Edward Elric & Van Hohenheim, Alphonse Elric/Winry Rockbell, Edward Elric/Roy Mustang, Maes Hughes & Roy Mustang
Comments: 11
Kudos: 67





	1. never be so clever you forget to be kind

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first multi-chapter fic, I expect it to be about 3-5 chapters. I should be able to update approximately weekly.   
> This was inspired by the Royed week prompt "Ed doesn't join the military for reasons you choose" but it turned into a beast of its own. 
> 
> Good news! I finally have a beta who is the amazing and lovely ironicallyanemic <3 This fic would be a mess without her!
> 
> I'm already thousands of words into chapter two, the creativity is definitely flowing with this! If you'd like to see some of the images that inspired this I can include them in the bottom of next chapter, just let me know! without further ado: angst

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?” Lieutenant Colonel Mustang yelled as he saw the list that had very, very specific ingredients and the two young blonde boys who were drawing a horrific array on the floor.

One of the boys got up and yelled in his face, “NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!”

“Brother…” The other boy said, his voice unsteady.

Mustang tries to take a deep breath, but it’s unsteady. “I heard there were a couple of talented alchemists that lived in this town and was directed to this house.” He had stepped into the house when the door was open and had called to see if anyone was home, and heard voices from the room down the hall, and he took no time going inside. It seemed to be some sort of library or study.

When he heard from the townspeople the alchemists were young brothers, he expected teens at the youngest, but these were just children _._ So how could they be doing such terrible things? Where would they even _learn_ such things?

“Yeah, that’s us.” Said the boy who had been shouting. “I’m Ed and this is my brother Al. Who do you think YOU are?”

“I’m Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist.”

“So you think you’re all that?” Ed said with his face scrunched up irritably.

Mustang looked at the work around the room. “Well, _you_ clearly think you do.”

“Lieutenant Colonel Mustang, sir you don’t understand.” Said Al, his eyes pleading. “Our dad is gone, and our mom died. It’s not arrogance. We just want to have a family again.”

Mustang sighed, feeling pity. “You have each other, don’t you? Are you willing to lose that too? ”

“You don’t know that we couldn’t do it!” Ed said with determination.

“Maybe, but at what cost? I have seen the reports of what happens when alchemists have tried human transmutation. It will not be your mother that comes back if you even live to see it.”

The boys both flinch. Mustang continues, his voice softener now, “Alchemy is a tool that can be used for acts of good and evil, but this is the most selfish reason I’ve ever seen it be used. You are clearly skilled alchemists, you could be helping people, or using your minds for research, but you’re choosing a death sentence instead.”

Ed’s gaze drops to the ground, while Al looks up at the lieutenant colonel, his face riddled with guilt. “We were trying to do something good,” Al musters.

“You will,” Mustang promised, catching both of the young boy’s eyes. “You can do good by using your talents to help people. Imagine all the people you could help with your alchemy alone.” Roy smiles encouragingly. “You would put the military to shame that kind of things you boys could do.”

Ed smiles despite himself. “Being more powerful than the military. I like that idea.”

“It is hard to let go of someone you care deeply for, but honor their memory by helping the others. Then one day maybe come take the state alchemist test. You might find you like being a dog of the military.”

Mustang talked to the boys for a while longer, cleaning up the mess on the floor, disposing of the lists they had laid out for ingredients. He wished them farewell and started to walk towards the small town’s train station.

“Wait!” Al yells, chasing after him. “Here. A gift for you, we have already read it, but it has a lot of information in it. Take it as a thank you for helping us.”

Mustang took the book that looked worn from the boy and said his thanks and continued down the trail. When he started to read what seemed to be an old journal on the train ride back to East Command he started to wonder who those boys were, and what had he gotten himself into when he read formulas he had never seen in the children’s gift.

* * *

The next time Roy Mustang saw the brothers it was a little more than three years later, but he had heard of them several times before that. He couldn’t be _sure_ it was them of course, but when he heard of the “Peoples Alchemists” who took power from the military in some small towns and gave it to the people and tied up criminals in others, he had few doubts that it was the brilliant brothers from Resembool.

Of course, the state wanted their heads on a platter. Defying the military while at the same time becoming popular with civilians. They were instantly labeled as vigilantes. Roy didn’t think they had any idea that the Peoples Alchemists were basically children, not that it would matter much. Although it might upset them to know they were being outwitted by a pair of pre-teens.

He was at the end of a mission in a northern city when he heard a commotion and yelling down the road. Hawkeye was with him, who made sure he had his gloves on before they both ran right into the action, only to see the fight be almost completely over.

Hawkeye still had her gun ready as the two blondes bound the wrists of the criminals to the side of the shop they had apparently been attempting to rob according to the murmurs around them. As the brothers dusted themselves off Al looked up and saw Roy standing there and said with a smile, “Lieutenant Colonel!”

The boys had grown some, but Roy quickly recognized the two brothers.

Roy smiled back with Hawkeye looking between the two in confusion and lowering her gun a fraction. “It’s actually Colonel now,” Roy said. “This is Lieutenant Hawkeye.”

Ed walked away from the struggling criminals and smirked at him. “Come to arrest us?”

Roy could easily see that Ed had not grown less confident in these few years. One could describe it as cocky. One might be Roy. “I could _never,_ ” Roy smirked back. “Although someone else might, so I suggest we get out of here. Might I interest you in a lovely local café?”

“Sure, I could go for hot chocolate.” Said Ed.

Once they’re all sitting at a café, coffees or hot chocolates in hand, Roy takes a chance to really look at the boys.

Ed’s had grown his hair out and he wore it in twin braids. He wore a bright red coat that was cropped at the waist that had one sleeve partially removed to show a metal cuff he wore on his forearm that had all types of tiny arrays etched on it. He had to admit that it was clever.

He also wore black jeans and stiff boots that went up to his thighs that seemed to be made of leather with a bit of metal to guard his knees and shins. Those boots looked like they were hiding a hundred tiny weapons.

While Ed was dressed for defense, Al was dressed for flexibility, he still wore his hair mostly short, though his bangs had grown out, and wore a short silver jacket, and similar fitted black denim jeans to his brother except with dozens of tiny pockets that he was sure held clever weapons.

He wore black leather boots that laced up the front, and many rings on his fingers, which after Roy looked more closely, saw they had tiny etchings of arrays on them.

Al took the initiative. “I’m Alphonse Elric, and this is my brother Edward Elric. You can call us Al and Ed though. It’s nice to meet you Lieutenant Hawkeye.”

“Nice to meet you too… I have to say I’m a little shocked that you know Mustang. Although it makes sense why he’s been following the ‘Peoples Alchemists’ cases so closely. How did you meet?”

“Awww, Mustang, You really do care!” Ed teased immediately.

Mustang shushed him and said, “Remember a few years ago when we were sent to recruit alchemists in Resembool?” Hawkeye nodded slightly. “You got sick, and I was going to wait for you to come with me, but we decided it would be more efficient if I just went on my own?” She nodded again, more surely.

Roy gestured to the boys across the table. “Meet the brilliant alchemists from Resembool.”

“You flatter me Mustang.” Ed said with whipped cream on his lip.

“Brother.” Al said in a very specific exasperated tone.

“But what’s your deal?” Ed asks. “You’re all up the military's ass, but you don’t support them? What’s up with that?”

Al looks at Mustang with interest, so this is clearly something they both have wondered about.

“I believe… Sometimes the best way to correct things is from the inside out.” Roy began looking at the table. “Things like holding everyone equally accountable for their actions, giving power to the people, and stopping terrible things from happening ever again.”

Roy looked at the boy's eyes, and smiled. “It doesn’t hurt to have help from the outside though. You show Amestris how peace and military aren’t synonymous words, and it doesn’t take much to change into that peace category.”

Hawkeye smiled proudly at him, and the brothers glowed with giddiness.

“I suppose you’re not so bad for an old guy.” Said Edward.

Hawkeye looked at the clock. “We should get going. We have a train to catch. It was nice to meet you both.”

Roy hesitated for a moment. “Do you have a piece of paper?”

The boys gave twin stares at him, before Al touched one of his rings and then a couple of the napkins on the table and turned it into stiff paper. Of course things were obviously that simple for the pair geniuses.

“A pen?” Roy asked.

Ed pulled one from his tall boots. And handed it to him. He wrote down a number and a few disconnected words.

“This is my number and code to reach me. If you are in an _emergency,_ call me. Keep that information protected though. _Emergencies only._ ”

Al took the paper and slid it into one of his jean’s many pockets. “Thank you! See you next time!”

As Hawkeye and Roy waited to board the train, she asked, “Is it wise to trust them? They seem nice enough, but they’re so young, they could change into entirely different beasts as they grow up. You might not want them as allies in the future.”

Roy considered his answer to this. “I think they need someone to believe in them. Teenagers rarely do, and if they stray from their path of helping people, hopefully they will trust me, since I’ve shown my trust in them.”

Hawkeye smiled softly. “I suppose so.”

Roy didn’t expect to hear from them directly for a long while. Though he had to admit he may have… not helped to search for them. (“Blonde? Really? I heard the boys had brunet hair. Who knows though.”)

Although it was two years (give or take) when he got the phone call, he had expected it to be a lot longer to even be in the same city. When he had just moved to Central Command and he had been talking to Maes about strange maps he was uncovering, and the new serial killer on the loose when he got a notice about an emergency phone call from an unknown source.

He raced to the nearest phone, got put through and answered. “Ed? Al? What’s going on? Are you okay?”

He heard sobs on the other end. “Colonel Mustang? My name is Winry Rockbell.” More sobbing. “It’s Ed. He was hurt so badly, I think he's-“ She cut herself off with more tears. “Al told me to call this number cause we’re in Central and you’re the only one who might know what to do. They were SO STUPID going after a serial killer! And now Al’s going after him alone!”

Shock hit Roy like a truck. He swallowed thickly. Maes looked at him concerned, but he just waved him off. “Where are you Miss Rockbell? Do you think you could get Ed over towards the East Villa?”

“Yeah, we’re not far from there.” He rattled off some instructions to get to Dr. Knox’s house and promised to meet her there.

“Maes, I need every sighting you have the alchemist killer tonight, and send every man you have after him.” Roy could hear his own voice rising in panic.

Maes took a long look at Roy. “Okay Roy. I’ll have the information for you in thirty minutes.”

Twenty minutes later they had sightings from less than a half an hour ago of the Alchemist Killer headed north fighting a man in a silver jacket. Roy’s jaw clenched.

He followed the many soldiers sent out to apprehend him, and were able to see the alchemy lights only after a half hour. He ran towards them.

“AL!” He shouted running towards the destructive fight.

“I’m a little busy here, Colonel.” Al said with anger as he narrowly avoided another destructive attack.

“Listen there are hundreds of men here to take him in. Ed is hurt, he needs you by his side right now.” Roy could hear the soldiers approaching now.

“Ed’s hurt because of HIM! It’s my job to-“

“To what? Kill him? Is that what you want to do?”

Al’s eyes widened and he hesitated for a moment, which provided an opening for the Alchemist Killer.

Roy snapped his fingers and enveloped him in fire, being careful not to touch his body, but trapping him there. This is the moment the soldiers arrived, and Roy gestured for Al to hide. Al, luckily, listened.

Roy waited for the soldiers to surround the killer before letting his flames die, and then they were able to surround him and cuff him effectively.

Roy said to them. “I’ll leave you to it.” Before bolting and grabbing Al’s wrist and running towards Knox’s house.

When they arrived the site wasn’t pretty, not the least because Knox cursed him out for bringing strange injured kids into his home.

Ed’s forearm cuff had exploded and many of the pieces had pierced his body. Mostly his right arm where the cuff had been, but a few had gone into his abdomen and one very scarily had gone into his neck.

Dr. Knox had gotten all the critical pieces out by the time Roy and Al had arrived though, and was now working on stitching up his arm.

A young blonde girl about the boys’ age he assumed was Winry hugged Al fiercely as soon as he came through the door. “HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID?” She cried.

Al looked deeply ashamed. “I know I seem like the rational one of us, and I am most of the time… I just couldn’t stand to see him hurt. I couldn’t think clearly.”

Roy took pity on Alphonse. “Do you realize you reacted in the wrong way?”

“Yes of course. I should’ve been there for Ed.”

Roy nodded. “Not to mention you could have been hurt as well, and how do you think Ed would have taken to waking up finding out his brother is missing?” He sighed. “As long as you recognize it was wrong though… Not to sound like a fucking cliché, but you are very powerful, and that means you have to be much more rational than the average person.”

“I understand.” Al said with his head bowed. Winry looked surprised by the interaction.

“I’m going to head to bed now, so I can be awake at the same time as brother.” Said Al.

Winry and Roy both said their goodnights.

“I’m surprised he listens to you. And Ed talks highly of you too. Not that I knew it was _you,_ but they mentioned their military friend a couple of times. They never listen to me when I tell them to be more careful.”

Roy laughs. “I think if I just told them to be careful they would look at me like I was an idiot. I do try to help them though.” Roy sits on one of the two small couches in the living room area that has a coffee table in between them. “We haven't been properly introduced. I’m Colonel Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist. Mustang is fine, though.”

Winry sat next to him on the couch. “I’m Winry Rockbell, automail mechanic and Ed and Al’s best friend. Well, their only friend basically.” She scrunched up her nose at that.

“Are you from Resembool as well?”

“Yeah. I was in Central because Ed and Al are always insisting that there’s so much to see, and they promised if I visited them in another city they would take me sightseeing.” She sighs. “This is only my first night here.”

“I could make arrangements for you to stay with a friend of mine. He has a wife and daughter who you’ll just fall in love with, though don’t tell him I said that. I’m sure they could show you some sights while Ed heals up, and then you could spend the rest of the time with the boys.”

Winry smiled shyly. “That’s so nice of you, Mr. Mustang. Of course I’ll still visit Ed, but not being cooped up would be nice.”

Roy smiled back. “I’ll give him a call right now.”

Hawkeye was going to laugh at him later for using so many favors for these boys and their hometown friends, he knew it. But he was tired, and was in deep need of seeing honest people with good intentions happy. Plus he’d grown fond of this little family, all trying to help each other.

He picked up the phone in the hall and called Maes’ office number, assuming he would be there despite the late hour.

“Hello?” he heard on the other end.

“Hey, it’s Roy.”

“You’re just the person I want to talk to. I’m finding the weirdest shit in these files right now. Can you come down to the office?”

“Not right now. I actually have a favor to ask of you. You know the ‘Peoples Alchemists’? Well it’s a long story, but I have a young lady who needs a nice family like yours to stay with because of a situation involving them. Maybe you could come by Knox’s with your files tomorrow sometime?”

He dared not say too much on the phone, but he made sure to leave enough clues for Maes to know something was up.

Maes huffed in reply, clearly realizing he wouldn’t get answers until later. “I’d love to have a guest over, you know me, the more the merrier! Send her my way and I’ll see you tomorrow at 10am. Make sure you bring the elixir of life! I can’t live without coffee.” And he promptly hung up.

Roy hung up the phone, and told Al and Winry that he could walk her to Hugh’s apartment before going home. He dropped her off, a brisk 20 minute walk later, before heading to his own brand new townhome.

Elixir of life, huh? He opened many of his unpacked boxes that had books of rare knowledge in them. It was very rare for a book of fact to talk about a legend like the philosopher's stone though. Then he remembered a book he had that did talk about such things.

He unpacked a box labeled “Sentimentals” and found the ancient looking journal Al had given to him many years ago. On the pages were many odd ideas of alchemy, but in one entry, clear as day,

_“Having the powers of a philosopher stone allow one to use inequivalent exchange, so it may seem. The price though is too heavy, and should never be paid. This kind of power is only sought after by those who seek to do evil things.”_

What the hell had Maes stumbled upon? And why was this in a book Al and Ed had given him. He supposed tomorrow would bring him answers.


	2. And if I didn't know better, I'd think you were listening to me now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All sorts of theories when new knowledge is discovered, the brothers learn about Ishval, and an unexpected friend is made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Firstly thanks to all the people who left kudos and subscribed!!! it means so much!!  
> Next thanks to Best Person @ironicallyanemic who is my beta and helps me find words when I can think of none!
> 
> I'll have a note at the end for anyone that cares about behind the scenes stuff, but basically, sorry if it feels clunky, I did my best!  
> (also just FYI everything is not exactly the same timeline wise as brotherhood but were collectively gunna ignore the incorrect timelines that are in favor of convenience because we don't want thousands of words of nonsense of them doing side quests. agreed? cool.)  
> next update I'm planning on two weeks cause both me and my beta are just working a lot right now! sorry! but it'll be very plot heavy to compensate!

Roy Mustang, Robert Knox, Maes Hughes, and the Elric brothers, one with his arm in a sling, and stitches on his neck, all sat around a small coffee table.   
Ed and Al sat together on one small couch, while Roy and Maes sat on the other, and Dr. Knox sat on a pulled up chair. Each had various amounts of conspiratorial notes, and various books of legends and myths.  
That morning Roy had been sure to get Edward and Alphones up early so he could explain the Ishval extermination to them properly. After seeing the Alchemist Killer was Ishvalan and realizing after finding the journal the night before that it was obvious that they were involved in whatever was going on.  
Which meant if they were all going to work together and the adults in the group already knew about each other’s pasts, but the brothers must only have a vague idea because of propaganda, and if they knew a history of any of them it would be Roy himself.   
So Roy told them about Ishval, and some of his personal experiences. He mentioned that the others were involved, but didn’t want to overstep by telling their personal stories. The boys asked many questions while he told his story, but when he was done they sat in silence.  
Edward eventually got up and stormed off into another room. Al told Roy, “He’s just upset that all this was done to you. All of you.”  
“We still chose to participate, Alphonse. We are not blameless.”  
“Yeah, but you want to change things and take responsibility. And your friends want to help you.” Al looked at his hands. “I almost wish I hadn’t caught the Alchemist Killer because obviously he wasn’t justified in his means, but he was justified in his anger. Maybe… Maybe he could’ve seen reason.”  
Roy smiled at the boy who was young and kind and felt his heart ache for him.   
“And the worst part is that they’re going to use him as an advertisement to say ‘Ishvalans are violent murderers!’ bleh.” Ed said with a complaint.  
Not long after later Knox woke up, and Maes arrived with maps and what were decidedly stolen documents from Central Command. They sat around the coffee table and discussed things that he could have only dreamt of a few days ago.  
Maes found what he believed to be evidence of a countrywide transmutation circle. He also found odd documents that proved that higher ups for hundreds of years were implementing all these wars to create it.   
What’s more is there were stray files of these higher ups talking about “rare alchemy” and “myth alchemy.” Oh, what Maes Hughes could do in an overnight or two. He was cleverer than them all, that bastard.  
“I assumed they were talking about making a philosopher’s stone.” Maes said.  
Roy looked at the many papers laid out and nodded in agreement.  
“No.” said Ed. “They’re talking about human transmutation. Believe me I’ve read enough about it to know it when I hear it. And that array? I’d recognize it anywhere.” He confessed grimly.  
Roy looked at the map. “What would they need it so large for? Over the whole country? I don’t get it. In that sense a philosopher’s stone would make more sense because it would need a lot of energy, at least.”  
Ed rolled his eyes. “If you think that’s how power balance works in an array then you’re not as smart as I thought you were.”   
“For some things Ed it’s true, like this it could be-“  
“A philosopher’s stone isn’t possible right? Even if you gathered enough energy?” Al asked.  
“Not according to the journal you gave me. Although it was a bit confusing.” Said Roy.  
Ed looked at him questioningly. “Didn’t Al give you one of our dad’s journals? We learned a lot from those journals, even if he was a bastard, but I think a lot of what was in it was in code. There was always a bunch of mumbo jumbo between things that made sense.”  
Roy produced the book in question. Across the top it said, “Van Hohenheim's Journal and Notes'' with the number 27 written in the corner. “Maybe this bit was code, too. ‘A philosopher stone allows one to use inequivalent exchange, so it may seem. The price though is too heavy, and should never be paid.’ That suggests there is a way to make one though, but there’s nothing equivalent to exchange for its power.”  
Simultaneous faces of frustration and outright irritation spread across the room.   
Suddenly Dr. Knox stood up from his chair, nearly knocking it over. “Oh god. I think I understand.”  
He looked sick, so Roy got up and helped ease him back into his chair. “What is it?” Roy asked cautiously.  
“One of the other doctors I knew who worked during Ishval. Dr. Marcoh. He mentioned something about how they had him working on weapons. That was curious enough as he was a doctor but we were very inclined to not question things back then.  
“He said specifically though something that stuck with me. He told me he was working with souls.”  
There was quiet that fell over the room.  
“That’s it then.” Al said quietly. “Human souls are what’s an equivalent exchange for a philosopher’s stone, so the leaders of this country have been trying to make one to have a weapon… Or something.”  
“But that doesn’t make sense!” Yelled Ed, his face reddening with anger. “There would be no one in this country to protect if they did this? What would be the point? I don’t understand!”  
Roy looked at Ed sympathetically. It was not that the boys hadn’t been through hard times, they had been making adult decisions too young, and expected to mature as children.  
Even their adventures of tying up criminals and helping people had left them poor and often maimed, and according to Winry they never went home.  
Yet in helping people, and helping each other they remained optimistic and hopeful. Roy couldn’t quite call it naivety. They were too decisive about who they placed their trust in, and too careful with their hope for Roy to ever believe they were blind believers in unrealistic dreams.  
Maes was the one to eventually speak up. “Maybe we don’t have all the pieces. We put all this together with scraps of information, maybe there’s a key piece we’re missing.”  
“And where would you find this supposed information? It took all your efforts to find everything you could from the military, do you think you’ll find more?” Said Knox cynically.   
Roy looked at all the files and the maps all strewn about. He looked at the old journal that was written by V. Hohenheim.   
“Maybe we shouldn’t look at the military anymore for resources.” Roy picked up the journal. “Do you have any more of these?”  
Al nodded. “Sure, we have a walls of bookshelves filled with them. There’s hundreds at our house in Resembool.”  
Maes sat his chin on his open palm. “Why would you have hundreds of journals by the same person?” He asked.  
Ed slouched. “Because they belonged to our father.”  
Roy and Maes looked at each other with shared confusion. “Okay, so why did your dad have hundreds of journals by the same person?” Roy asks alternating glances between the brothers.  
Ed’s eyebrows scrunched together but he didn’t look up. Al looked surprised and said, “I think you’re confused. Our father wrote those journals. That’s why we have so many. Mom used to say he wrote down all his adventures and knowledge.” Al looked at Ed who was doing a fantastic job of pouting. “We tended to, uh, skip his adventures though.”  
Roy looked at the worn journal in his hands, that somehow contained knowledge about the philosopher’s stone AND the secret ingredient for one.  
Ed looked frustrated and angry when he said, “He left when we were so young. Our mom said he had an important ‘mission’ to go do, but a year later she died, and that bastard never came back.” Al nudged his arm in support.  
Knox broke the silence that had begun to loom over the room, “It looks like you’re all headed to the Elric’s home to read some journals. And finally getting out of my living room.”  
“You’re not coming with us?” Roy asked.  
“I’m a doctor, not a professional conspirator like the lot of you. And I don’t plan on changing my career because of you lot. Just let me know if one of you gets shot.” Knox replied, coffee in hand.  
They decided to leave for Resembool in two days' time. That would give Ed some time to recover, and time for Roy and Maes to prepare for a leave.   
Hawkeye would stay in central as a point of contact, and to keep digging into military files.  
After hearing Ed and Al’s story of their father, Maes felt guilty leaving his family for a mission, but Gracia assured him that she knew the risks of his job when she decided to have a family with him. He promised to call as often as he could.  
Roy splurged on a private compartment on the train for them. Winry was brimming with excitement that the brothers were coming back to Resembool, and getting to show them some of the new automail she had designed the past few years.  
The brothers seemed anxious to be going back to their old home, but they tried to appear enthused for Winry’s sake. Al even took Winry shopping one day.  
Roy picked up the brothers from Knox’s house early in the morning, and Maes and Winry at the station. The brothers wore their signature outfits minus the coats as to not be as easily recognized. Ed replaced his forearm cuff with twin wrist cuffs with the signature small etchings of small transmutation circles on them. Winry excitedly talked about the new dress she was wearing, and Roy Maes wore plain clothes but carried their military IDs.  
They boarded the train early and found their private compartment in one of the last cars of the train, Al and Winry went in first picking the window seats across from each other, Ed sat next to his brother, and Roy sat next to Ed with Maes sitting across from him near the door, with all their luggage overhead, and foldable trays hung near between the seats under the window.  
“So Winry,” Roy started. “What embarrassing stories of the Elric brothers do you have?”  
“Uhg you exist to torment me!” Ed complained loudly. Then he got a sinister look on his face. “Wait, Hughes? Do you have any stories of Mustang?”  
Al sighed heavily, but smiled beside his brother, enjoying the sunshine on his face.  
The train gets moving and the teens talk animatedly about visiting “Granny”, while Roy and Maes theorize about what they might find in the rest of the journals, and if the information would be coded.  
The first time the security rushed past their compartment, Roy tried not to think much of it. The second time Maes gave him a look. The third time Ed paused in the middle of his conversation and asked, “Do you want to find out what’s going on?” in a knowing sort of way.  
“Well if you insist.” Roy replied.  
Maes and Roy wandered the halls and flashed their military badges at guards until they found the head of security. He said there were sights of a man on the outside of train cars, and they kept finding more blood, suggesting whoever was hitchhiking the ride was injured. They also managed to get inside at some point.  
Maes told them Ben, the head of security, to keep them informed and in return they would keep an eye out.  
They went back to their compartment and another couple hours went by uneventfully, until they heard a distinct bang above their heads. They all looked at each other for a moment before Ed stood up on his seat and touched one of the small transmutation circles on his left wrist cuff before touching his hand to the ceiling and a hole was created.  
A man missing his entire right arm and a large scar on his face fell through from the roof, but that wasn’t the curious thing.   
It was the Alchemist Killer.   
Roy supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised that he successfully escaped when he was able to defeat the Elric brothers.  
Everyone just stared at the injured criminal for a long second not knowing what to do.  
Before anyone had a chance to decide what to do Winry was on the ground. “I need cloth I can use as wrappings for his arm, and any other injuries.” The brothers grimaced but Al immediately got his suitcase down to find spare cloth, and Ed started pulling small rolls of medical cloth that were tucked inside his boots.  
Roy looked at the scene for another moment and took off his light jacket, “Here Al, you’ll be faster at making these into what she needs.”  
“No that inner lining is perfect for putting pressure on the open wound, thanks.” Winry said.  
After almost an hour of Winry wrapping and rewrapping the wound, and four boys doing their best to find material Winry called “good enough” and they all sat back in their seats with a very nearly unconscious Alchemist Killer on the floor between them.  
“So now what?” Maes asked the room.  
“We should wait for him to wake up.” Said Al.  
Maes tried to be gentle but stern in saying. “He’s killed people. We can’t just say, ‘He had his reasons’ and hope he had a change of heart.”  
“That’s what we do for you!” Ed hissed.   
Maes looked shocked for a moment until the shame settled in.   
“That’s a fair point Ed. We can wait until he wakes up.”  
So they got to work setting up the folding tables and some papers on them to disguise his body, and Roy was sure to tell some guards that he was sure he saw a man jump off from the outside of the train at the last stop.  
Three stops and several hours later the Alchemist Killer has been steadily waking up, but still laying on the floor, but he finally asks for some water. Winry readily provides, and offers some of her sandwich as well.  
Once he’s finished Al says, “We have some… questions for you.” As diplomatically as possible.  
“I understand.” Said the Alchemist Killer sitting up on the floor slightly and leans his back below the window.  
“What’s your name?” Roy asks.  
“I gave up my name when I had… left my old life behind.”  
“Well is there anything you’d like to be called?”   
He shook his head slightly, staring at the floor in front of him.  
Al sighs dramatically. “Well we can’t exactly keep calling you ‘The Alchemist Killer’.”  
“What about ‘Scar’?” suggested Ed.  
“Brother! That’s rude!” said Al nudging his brother.  
Winry puts a finger to her chin thoughtfully. “We once had a customer who was a traveler that went by Cal. Is it okay if we call you that?”  
The newly appointed Cal nods from the ground.

Roy wasn’t sure exactly why, but when asking him-Cal questions, he expected more resistance. Cal seemed tired, and even, if he dare say so, regretful.  
“So why did you do it?” Al finally asks. “Why were you killing state alchemists?”  
“My family was abolished because of state alchemists.” Cal replied, his eyes boring into Roy. “I was blessed, or cursed, with my brother's arm that had the alchemic ability to destroy anything at will. I thought it was God telling me it was my time for justice, and I could destroy those who thought themselves creators.”   
He looked down at his injured body. “My brother’s arm is what kept me going, I thought I would be killed before being separated from it. I’m not sure what my purpose is now.”  
“Killing those people wasn’t for justice, it was for revenge.” Said Ed. “I know what some of the state alchemists did, Mustang told me, but killing them wouldn’t fix anything. What you could do is live your life despite the military, or spread awareness of the propaganda, or… something… Not be something the military can parade as justification for their violence.”  
Roy was proud of Ed’s maturity in that moment, and Cal’s eyes were wide too.  
“I always thought people of Amestris were hateful and not ones to forgive.” Cal looked at Roy again. “Especially the military.”  
“Mustang was the one who told us the truth and said you had a reason to be angry.” Al said. “He wants everyone in the military to be held accountable for their actions.”  
“Including himself?” Cal wondered.  
“Yes.” Said Roy.  
“Hm. I suppose I have a lot to think about.” He looks to Winry. “I never got to thank you for saving me young lady.”  
“It’s no problem. My name's Winry Rockbell by the way. I’m an automail mechanic, so when we get back to Resembool after you’ve healed up for a while maybe I can get you fitted with something.”  
Cal looked curiously at the rest of them. “Why are two high ranking officers, two alchemists who are vigilantes, and an automail mechanic who seem to have nothing in common headed so far out east?”  
“You mentioned your brother was interested in rare alchemy? We are looking into a… bit of conspiracy involving the philosopher’s stone, and… a forbidden type of alchemy.” Said Maes.  
“I’m afraid I couldn’t be much help to you.” He hesitated, looking at Winry. “I did have some notes of his, but they made no sense to me. I hid them before I left for central. They shouldn’t be far from Resembool, though. Perhaps I could direct you to them.”  
“Thanks, they might end up being helpful!” Said Al.  
Cal goes to lay back down. “I suppose it’s time I support justice rather than personal revenge.”  
They crowded around Cal as they got off the train, and gave him a jacket and a piece of luggage to carry to make him more normal. He keeps his head down, and they get a mile down the trail from the station when the blonde teens start to break away.  
“Don’t worry.” Said Winry. “The folk around here stopped questioning anything weird going on after Ed and Al…” She makes a face. “Well after they were five.”  
Maes laughs, “Understandable.”

They get to the quaint Elric house by night time, all exhausted so they decide to call it a night.  
Winry heads to her own home, making them promise to come to breakfast in the morning, and leaves with Cal in tow. There was minor protests about he should go with her, but once Ed said, “She can take care of herself and make her own dumb choices.” There was not much else to say.  
Their “adventures” were just beginning in Resembool it seemed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! the reason it was a but clunky was cause I was originally going to have ed al and roy visit scar and lowkey break him out, but I kept rerwring the scene and it kept being over 3k words (just the scene) and it still felt very OOC for them all. 
> 
> I love Scars arc in the show of learning to forgive and acts of kindness through many interactions over time, but I had to cut it down to a scene or two, so it sounds like a political tactic in this fic but I'm hoping I can get the right mood later!
> 
> alright thanks for reading!!! send love + comment! I'll update as soon as I can!


	3. Never wield such power, you forget to be polite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starting a revolution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii! Sorry updates took longer than expected! I worked almost every day in January(I picked up a lot of shifts cause my car broke down in december), and my beta has a job and does school, so I make sure she doesn't feel stressed or rushed by having to edit! Just know I am still writing updates regularly, just dumb, IRL stuff is getting in the way, lol!
> 
> As always thanks to my beta, Harley, who literally helps me find words.

Breakfast at Pinako Rockbell’s was unexpectedly pleasant. There was plenty of shouting (mostly Ed and Pinako), and plenty of teasing to go around (Everyone but Cal was guilty of that).

Cal was solidified as part of their mismatched little group when Pinako “Granny” Rockbell asked, “What are you doing caught up with military brass and vigilante kids?”

He simply replied, “They’re the people who saved me. I’d like to call them my friends. I want to help them.” Pinako simply raised her eyebrow, but Winry and Al had twin toothy smiles, so that was it.

The brothers, as well as Roy, and Maes headed to the Elrics home for the afternoon to start researching the journals in their library. Cal was healing from his injuries, and wouldn’t be able to show them where he hid his brother’s notes for at least for several weeks.

Roy and Maes were immediately overwhelmed by the amount of journals alone in the small house. The study was covered wall to wall in bookshelves filled with them, but there were even more bookcases filled with journals in an empty bedroom, the family room, and even more just stacked one on top of the other up in the attic.

The boys got excited about their favorite books from they’re childhood when they saw their bookcase of rare books on alchemy, myths, and the history of science in their old shared bedroom. Roy was just jealous of their collection.

After the initial nostalgia, and a few days of low productivity they figured out a pretty good system. Ed and Al would sort the journals into categories of _journeys, myths, philosopher’s stone_ , and eventually had to add a third category of _Xerxes,_ as Hohenheim seemed to write about the legendary city.

After that Maes and Roy read through the _journeys_ and the _philosopher’s stone_ respectively to try and find as much as they could connecting all the information and take as many notes as possible.

Roy thought he’d be bored to death, but bickering with Ed between note taking, watching Al get excited about the sweet foods Winry bakes, and seeing Cal midday taking the Rockbell dog, Den, for a walk kept him entertained as they poured over the texts.

It was three weeks in and Cal was going to start getting outfitted for automail that day. So far they had uncovered quite a bit of knowledge, but everything of importance were all disconnected scraps such as _artificial life_ , and _human transmutation_.

Roy was sitting at the kitchen table when he saw a flash of a blonde ponytail come through the front door. “Ed, when did you go out?” he asked.

“Who are you? And why are you reading my journal?” Asked the man at the door who was very much not Edward. He had the Elrics golden eyes and hair, but looked to be middle-aged.

“Um.” Says Roy eloquently. “I guess… you’re Hohenheim?”

“Yes.” The man says.

“Oh, um.” Roy felt out of words for the first time in life.

His not so saving grace, Ed walks into the room with a stack of journals and says without looking up, “Here, these are for your category.”

“Edward.” Hohenheim breathes out.

Ed looks up for and doesn’t move for almost a minute. “ _Dad?!_ ”

“Edward you’ve grown so much, I can’t believ-“

“What the _fuck_ is wrong with you? What are you doing? _Why are you here? Now?”_

 _“Edward_ , where is your mother? I need to speak with her…”

Ed scoffs and turns on his heel out of the room before his father could finish the thought. He hears a slamming door, and Ed shouting and seconds later Al yelling, “ _What?!”_ and more of the brothers talking from their bedroom.

Unfortunately it didn’t seem like they were coming to save him again any time soon.

“I think you’ve… Misunderstood this situation, Dr. Hohenheim.”

“How so?” He replied.

So Roy introduced himself, and then told him how he met the Elric brothers, and how he knows them as vigilantes on the run from the government, but he tried his best to help, and now they're caught up in conspiracy.

Hohenheim didn’t react much to what Roy said. He didn’t cry or look shocked. At the end of it all it said was, “Despite everything that you’ve told me, are they happy? Despite Trisha, and well, me, did they still manage to be happy?”

“I don’t think it’s as simple as whether or not they’re happy. They have each other, and that reminds them to be kind and thoughtful, but… They also focus on the sad negative parts of things, and would rather feel hurt then let anyone else be responsible. It’s been difficult for them.”

“I’m glad they have you for a close friend that looks out for them.”

“I don’t know if I’m a close friend… It’s… Complicated.” Roy is literally digging up conspirtal plots with the boys, and would do anything to make sure they weren’t hurt, but he also doesn’t know either of their middle names, so it’s not easy to say how close they actually are.

Al comes out of the bedroom, followed by Ed who grabbed Maes, from his hiding spot in the living room. The youngest Elric looked red in the face, and Roy couldn’t tell if he was about to cry or scream. It was very possibly both.

Ed just looked like he was a second away from punching his father. Meanwhile, Maes pretty much looked exhausted?, but he was pretending not to be for the sake of everyone else.

“We were looking up your notes, but since you’re here we don’t have to. What do you know about this?” Al asked Hohenheim, pulling out the maps they took from Knox’s house without so much a glance at his father.

Hohenheim looked at his hands, trying not to mention his son's avoidance. “I can help. And I’d love to. But I think there is some… key pieces of information you are missing. Perhaps we should do this over dinner.” 

That evening Dr. Hohenheim told his story from the beginning of being a slave in Xerxes in his late teens all the way to the present time of a homunculus known as the Dwarf in the Flask living underneath central. It took the time of dinner being cooked, eating it, dessert, and Pinako getting a few drinks in before he was done.

They each handled the revelation differently, Maes definitely tried to absorb the information tactically; how was this going to help them? Cal looked overwhelmingly calm considering the situation. Pinako just had a knowing frown on her face, she had heard much of this story before. Winry had the similar look that Ed had earlier, of being ready to punch Hohenheim if he breathed wrong.

Roy couldn’t say how he looked because he was focused on the brothers next to him. They sitting were next to each other, shoulder to shoulder, Ed with clenched fists, Al with one had Ed’s forearm, the other hand twisted with Winry’s.

“So you think,” Ed started. “That just because you’re ancient, and _chosen,_ Xerxian, that it was okay to abandon mom while she was dying, and leave your CHILDREN alone for ten years. I get that it was an ‘important mission’ but you could’ve…”

“Not totally abandoned us.” Al finishes.

“I’m sorry. Time passes differently for me, I didn’t think… But it’s not much of an excuse.” Hohenheim says.

“You shouldn’t be making excuses in the first places.” Roy said. “We can’t do anything about that right now. What we can do is make a plan to save Amestris. If it’s ok with you boys.” He looked at the blonde brothers, and they both nodded, but with different levels of pouting.

Ed bumped his knee and smirked, which was his version of trying to thank him for being there. Maes replied, “So let’s plan a coup!” with watery eyes he tried to make bright, so it was really the best outcome that could’ve happened with all things considered.

Things are planned out over the next three weeks with calls made to Central for Mustang’s team, and other calls all the way out to Briggs, and anywhere else they have allies. Cal offers to help with networking the day of, since he will still be healing from injuries, and having a single person who knows where everyone is at will be a great help.

The main hiccup is when Hohenheim says to Ed and Al that he would like for them to not be involved because it’s more dangerous than they understand.

It’s no surprise when one of the brothers blow up, but it’s a slight surprise that it’s Al and not Ed who is heard yelling, “ _If you didn’t want us to do anything dangerous you shouldn’t left us to our own devices with a dead mother at five years old and instructions on human transmutation! If you wanted no harm to come to us then you should’ve stepped in before we caught murderers for fun at twelve! You don’t get a fucking say_ dad _!”_

Hohenheim looks heartbroken hearing this, the first real emotion Roy has seen on his face but simply replied, “Okay.” Which made even Maes roll his eyes, who said he was doing his best to be impartial on the situation, and complained quietly about his lack of apology.

The following Monday they were all on a train headed towards Central. Even Winry and Pianko were coming; it was never a bad idea to have mechanics and healers around. Hohenheim said all the homunculus he knew about would be in central except for one called “sloth” which Briggs volunteered to take care of.

Some others would be meeting up in Central such as Ed and Al’s alchemy teacher named Izumi, some of Maes and Roy’s friends, trusted allies around the country, and anyone Madam Christmas deemed trustworthy.

The plan was for nearly everyone to be focusing on getting rid of homunculus and the corrupt upper brass. Other small teams would be put on prevention for any teams the brass may try to call, and other teams managing press and public response. Hohenheim and his sons were going to go fight the Dwarf in the Flask.

Each team would have a radio with them that would regularly correspond with Cal, the Rockbells, and Madam Christmas so they could quickly problem solve, and coordinate who could help.

The day of, most of the problems were related to press and publicity, which Madam Christmas could handle with Roy’s adopted sisters. Everything was going well, staff getting captured, two homunculus killed.

Then, Roy got a call from Cal saying that Ed, Al and Hohenheim were overwhelmed by the Dwarf in the Flask, and there was homunculus with them. Roy quickly found Izumi and they raced off to the labyrinth that was underneath Central Command.

When they get there Al is being attacked by what seems to be shadows, while Ed and Hohenheim seem to be fighting and endless alchemy coming from all directions. Roy went to help with the shadows, Izumi helped with alchemy attacks.

The idea was simple: To wear out the stone. The homunculus called pride was already worn down some, and Roy knew he could wear him down quickly with his flames.

Hohenheim could do the most work against the Dwarf in the Flasks also having a stone, but it was a balance to not use up his either. Luckily Ed and Izumi were plenty destructive themselves.

The fighting felt like it went on forever, but it was impossible to tell time in the dark dungeon.

Eventually Pride was just a face of a young boy falling apart, literally, and Roy was nearly on his knees with exhaustion, but with a final explosive snap the homunculus was gone. Even the Dwarf in the Flask paused for just a moment as his most powerful “child” was gone.

After a few heavy breaths the fighting was back on and full force, except now with one target for all their forces to focus on. Ed immediately started mocking him by referring to him as “little homunculus” but it made Al laugh, so they started using that as their shorthand for the Dawrf in the Flask to coordinate attacks better, although they’d later deny any giggling while having a battle with the world’s most evil monster.

Al and Hohenheim developed an effective strategy which consisted of the elder blond creating massive amounts of rock and metal from nothing with his stone, and the younger destructing it into the final homunculus. Izumi and Ed were wasting lots of his powers, running around destroying any cage he tried to put them in being creative.

Eventually Ed came back round to Roy and said, “He’s getting weak, me and Izumi don’t have much to do cause he’s focusing on healing.”

Roy raised his eyebrows. “Do you have an idea?” 

Ed shrugs. “Back him into a corner and go at him with all we fucking got.”

Roy shakes his hands to get them loose and says, “Let's do it.”

Ed nods, and starts heading towards rounding everyone else up to get the plan in motion. Everyone starts aiming their forces trying to back the Dwarf in the Flask up until he has his back to the wall of the dungeon with everyone attacking.

The homunculus finally stopped healing and raised his arm up in defense, after what felt like a lifetime, but was actually less than ten minutes of fighting.

His final words were, “Finally feel like a god now, slave 23?” before flames engulfed him, and a piece of rock went flying through his skull.

When they got back to the surface of Central Command, hundreds of soldiers and brass were tied up, in various rooms. Everyone else is celebrating together, even Cal. Winry runs and hugs the Elric brothers as soon as they’re in her line of sight.

Hawkeye bumped Roy’s shoulder and smiled when finally saw him, and Maes wraps his arm around him and says, “We are going to have to drink for as many times as we almost got killed today, which is a LOT.” Then laughs brightly.

Nothing is calm, and tomorrow they are going to have to figure out a new leader to the country but, today there is peace.

The lot of them end up at Madam Christmas’s bar, with plenty of food stories to go around. The Elric brothers were sitting across from Roy with begrudgingly smiles at their dad’s bragging. Maes was in a booth with his family. Winry and Al were holding hands and leaning on each other. Ed kept making jokes that this was the last time he’d get to see him outside the fuhrer’s office.

It was a wonderful night, and the next day he woke up with 20 guests in his house, a hangover, and a government to fix, but he figured that was a fine way to start a revolution.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you enjoy it? I've never written anything like that, so please tell what you think! I have one more chapter planned, a lowkey after story chapter for some romance, and then one shots and two shots that I'm really excited about writing about!


	4. You loved the amber skies so much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Roy and Ed (and everyone else) settle down after promised day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the final chapter! I really had so much fun working on this and am very excited for this final chapter!   
> I of course have to thank my lovely beta Harley aka ironicallyanemic who I couldn't do this without!  
> here you guys go!

After the events of the Promised things drastically changed but most things stayed the same. Cal went to Ishval to help with rebuilding efforts, and to support Ishvalan rights. After a couple of years, Winry moved to Rushvalley where the automail and challenges were more her speed.

Hohenheim traveled the country teaching people about healing alchemy and the history of Xerxes. Ed and Al traveled with him for a few years, but eventually, Al moved to Rushvalley to be with Winry. Occasionally, he did travel on his own sometimes.

As for Roy, he was Fuhrer and now busy with his efforts to make the country a democracy. Over the last couple of years Ed has been spending more and more time in Central and has taken an interest in investigations, and shadowing Maes when he’s in town.

Ed would usually stay with Roy in his four bedroom home when he was in town saying, “Your place is somehow oversized AND cozy!”

This past year though he got himself an apartment since he was in the city more than not, and traveled out of town only a few months of the year.

“Why don’t you just apply for the investigations team if you’re planning on living in the city? They can send you on missions when you feel the need to travel.” Roy mentioned to Ed one afternoon over lunch.

“But then I’d be working for the corrupt Amestrian military leaders which is a gross thought.”

“I am the military leader, Ed.” Roy says with a dramatic pout.

“Exactly, now you’re getting it.” Ed says with a smirk and Roy is wholly convinced that the amount of eye rolling he does has gone 500% since Ed moved to the city.

When Ed’s 22nd birthday rolls around in January and all he asks for is groceries he says, “Maybe it’s time for me to get a real job. Gross.” He wrinkles his nose.

“I think you’ll go on, brother.” Al says, who was visiting for his older brother’s birthday. They were at Madam Christmas’s celebrating with the rest of the team, although most of them got distracted with a game of pool.

“Uhg, I’m going to have _work for the military_.” Ed complains into his hands, while Al pats his back in a _there, there_ fashion.

“At least you won’t have a beginners rank, I can get you a recommendation.” Roy said from across the booth.

Ed glared at him. “I don’t want to get a big fancy rank because of the people I know.”

Roy sighed. “People with higher skills often start out at a higher rank Ed. Plus, if you want to work directly under Maes you need to be ahead of some other people in his office, or else they’re going to boss you around; it’s just how it goes.”

Ed huffs, flipping one of his braids over his shoulder. “That’s such bullshit, maybe if the leader of this country wasn’t so lazy we could change how that all works.”

“And yet you’re the one who always makes my lunches twice as long.” Roy takes a final sip of his drink. “I’m heading out. It was nice to see you Al. I’ll see you soon Ed, _at work!”_ He calls as leaves the table.

He can hear Ed grumble as Al calls, “You too!” so that’s something.

It’s several weeks later when Ed barges into his office, a bright smile on his face as he practically skips to Roy’s desk and says, “Look! I got a uniform! I feel like I’m playing dress up or something.” Ed laughs.

He is indeed wearing a fitted uniform, showing off his rank of Major once again. His hair is in this half up half down style, the length now reaching the small of his back, with shorter hairs framing his face. Roy was suddenly struck with how beautiful Ed had become.

While Ed flopped down on the couch ungracefully, his head of security rushed into the office and said, “Sir! We have a break in, we have to bring you into hiding!”

Instead of moving Roy just stared at Ed, who was trying (and failing) to stare innocently out the window, but instead looked like he was going to start laughing. “I don’t think there’s a problem Colonel.” Said Roy before continuing, “I think _someone_ just didn’t have the patience to be searched on the way into the office.”

“There was no way I was going to let them search me, do you know how many weapons I have on me?” Ed exclaimed.

Roy sighed and waved his Colonel away. He looked at Ed who was looking around the Fuhrer’s office with skeptical eyes. “Come on, Ed, let me give you a grand tour.”

In the end, Ed has to fight a laugh every time they pass someone who salutes Roy, and Roy has to try to keep from laughing inappropriately at Ed making rude comments in the middle of the cafeteria.

They each had to get back to their jobs but they made plans for dinner at Roy’s place to celebrate Ed making it through his first day. They both hated going out, cause Roy was required to have excessive amounts of security with him wherever he goes.

Ed arrives late, still in his uniform, and his hair a tangled mess. “I hope you didn’t start making dinner without me because if anything my weeks visiting here has taught me it’s that for someone with fire alchemy you can’t cook for shit.”

“I got takeout, don’t worry. But onto more important matters: now you can finally understand how ridiculous General Roswell’s mustache is.” Roy says from the small table in the kitchen.

Ed had kicked off his shoes at the door and was now flinging his coat onto a spare chair. “I cannot _believe_ you didn’t exaggerate it. I _cannot._ ” He says while digging through the food to find his favorites. “I also can’t believe you didn’t tell me about Captain Johnson’s toupee. I was not prepared at all, and couldn’t keep a straight face and just basically screamed ‘I have to go!’ at him just so I didn’t have to look at it anymore!”

Roy was laughing so hard, food almost came out of his mouth, and he felt so warm despite the cold time of year.

The next time Ed came over, he just invited himself and started cooking. While in the kitchen he complained about the case he was working on, and how there were signs of massive alchemy, but none were reported. In the middle of his rantings, Roy suggested maybe the transmutations failed, because he wasn’t a powerful alchemist. Ed nearly banged his head on the table.

Wednesday night dinners became a regular thing, and then Saturday brunches with the Hughes (Elicia just got a new sister Lila!) and Ed would come have lunch often in his office with Roy and his team, often sitting on top of Roy’s desk just cause he found it hilarious when other officers were shocked by it.

Roy didn’t realize how much Ed had become a part of his life until Ed was away on a month-long mission. Three and a half weeks in Roy’s phone rings well past the time he should already be in bed. However, he was just getting to the takeout he got himself hours ago.

“Hello?” He answers.

“Hey, it’s me,” Ed says from the other end of the line.

“I don’t know anyone by ‘Me’ how did you get clearance to call my home phone?” Roy replies, and he’s nearly positive he can actually hear Ed rolling his eyes.

“I was going to say that I miss home, but suddenly I’m feeling completely fine.”

Roy chuckles. “We miss you here, too. It feels like you’ve gone for weeks, especially with how difficult it is to hold off Maes picture attacks without you.” Something about the time of night, and being over the phone made him feel like he could be too honest. “I miss you.”

“If you miss homemade food so much maybe you could learn how to make it.” Ed jokes, then after a few beats of silence says, “I’ll be home soon.”

When Ed gets back to Central he does a dramatic retelling of his adventure in Roy’s office for his team, and everyone laughs when Roy and Ed argue about the legality of blowing up a building if it was planned for demolition anyways.

Ed came over for a celebratory dinner that night. They sat shoulder to shoulder and Ed talked about how Al was going to be visiting soon with Hohenheim, and how Cal just got his most recent petition passed successfully.

Roy walks Ed to the door, rather than starting to clean up dinner when he decides to leave and when Ed has his boots back on, and is stuttering out a goodbye Roy leans down and kisses him chastely. Ed blushes and grabs Roy by his shirtfront and kisses more fully, messily.

When he pulls away they’re both smiling and Roy starts to say, “Ed,”

But Ed says, “Shut up!” and tries to cover his smile with his hands and hair.

“I didn’t say anything yet!”

“And I said shut up!” Ed’s blush kept making Roy smile.

“If I knew I could make you this embarrassed, I would have done this sooner.”

“You’re embarrassing. Shut up! I’ll see you tomorrow.” Ed said running out the door.

Ed came over to Roy’s house several times a week now, and they ended up in Roy’s library more often than not, either so when Ed ranted about alchemy he had books to back him up, or so they could read together in peace, quietly, but in each other’s presence, or so they could make out on the large couch in there.

Maes was the first to figure it out, after only five minutes walking into Roy’s house for Saturday brunch. “I’m so glad you guys finally got together because Al and I were about two weeks from setting you up. Smile for the picture!”

Ed pulls a face and complains, “You call my brother to talk about _my_ love life? I’ve been robbed of decent friends.”

Ed is still pouting when Roy takes his hand, not minding that Maes was taking a million pictures to send to everyone they know, and that was somehow everything.

Nothing changes at work much, except the two blush and smile more, and the investigations secretary has to pull Maes and Ed from Roy’s office at least twice a week.

The first time Ed stays overnight he wakes up surprisingly early, hair messiest he has seen it yet, groaning and complaining. “Umf, this is so embarrassing. Now your guards will know I stayed overnight. I think Maes said they had a betting pool on when I would finally stay a full night.”

“I think it’s more embarrassing when you leave at three in the morning, my dear.” Roy said from the other side of the bed.

Ed propped himself on his elbows and looked Roy in the eyes. “You know I love you right? I mean, I know you know I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t love you. I just. I also know it also helps to hear it sometimes too, I guess.”

Roy was smiling, and pulling Ed onto his chest, cuddling him before he could stop himself and replied, “I know, but I appreciate you saying it anyways. I love you, too. I know our communication isn’t always… the best, but…”

Ed pulls himself back and smirks. “But the closest thing either of us have to an example of a healthy relationship is Maes and Gracia, and you pray we’re never that over the top?”

Roy grabs one of Ed’s hands. “Or there’s your brother and Winry.”

Ed’s laughs echo in the room and Roy decides that it’s going to be one of his most important goals in life to make Ed laugh in the morning sunlight as often as possible. “They’re so _domestic_! I don’t know where they got it from and I definitely don’t want to catch it.”

It takes less than three months after that day for Ed to fully move into Roy’s house. The transition brought about only a few changes. Now there are more books in the library, more groceries in the kitchen, extra hair in the drain, and hair ties and random socks are everywhere you look, but the changes only made the house feel more like a home than it ever has.

“Don’t you think it’s a little fast?” Maes asked one afternoon when Roy was visiting him at his house.

“I suppose it seems that way. But you know us, Maes. We’re not really the, ‘let’s take things slow, and think it over for a few weeks and come back to it when we have time’ kinda people.”

Maes scoffs. “No you’re more the, ‘let’s dive in head first, no take backs, consequences be damned,’ kinda people.”

Roy sighed, and then smiled at his best friend. “I have to be meticulous, and prepared in every part of my life, every day, constantly, and I know I made it that way… But with him, it feels like I can _be_ imperfect, I can make mistakes. I could say the stupidest thing and he wouldn’t look at me any different. It’s freeing.”

Maes is doing his best not to gush. “Maybe that’s because he thinks you’re an idiot.”

Roy laughs, “Well we know that’s true,” before getting pulled into another pulled into a baking contest with Elicia.

Al visits Central for his own 22nd birthday, and has a quiet celebration that consists of drinking spiked hot chocolate on the library floor, while laughing at myths about Xerxes.

“Look brother, this one says, ‘Only the most beautiful creature survived the fall of the Xerxes.’” Al laughs.

“Beautiful my _ass_. Roy come here, I need you to burn this book.” Ed rages almost spilling his chocolate, while Al laughs some more. Roy is reading a book in the corner, making sure they don’t end up passed out on the floor.

Eventually Al closes the book and says, “Brother, can I ask for your advice?”

“Of course, Al. You know I’ll always listen.” Ed leans his back against the couch.

“I’ve been thinking about proposing to Winry.”

“That’s awesome! I’m so happy for you.”

“I’m just scared.” Al says softly. “I feel like marriage comes with all this… Responsibility. Like having kids and income, and not having 7 cats.”

Ed shifts to be closer to Al. “Hey, listen to me, little brother. If marriage is what you want, then I have no doubt that you’ll be a great dad to great kids. But I also know you’re a great dad to terrible kitten monsters, and there’s no reason you can’t have both, or anything else you both want.”

Al buries his blonde head into Ed’s shoulder. “Thanks, brother. You’re the best brother ever.”

When Al and Winry visit a month later and announce that they’re getting married in the fall. Ed beams with joy and bear hugs his younger brother when he asks him to be his best man, even though it’s a shock to nobody.

Ed spent hours on the phone enthusiastically helping the couple pick out flowers, and color details. Winry asked if she could come to Central to pick out her dress, and Ed was basically counting down the days with excitement.

Ed took a few days off to spend with his oldest friend, and on one of her final days Roy went with them and indulged Winry in all the things she wanted to buy. When she thanked him for being such a gentleman, Roy thanked her, while his boyfriend just groaned and rolled his eyes at the whole scene.

That night as they were getting settled into bed Ed said, “I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?”

“I never really asked if it was okay if Winry stayed with us, and I’ve spent most of my time at home on the phone. I haven’t been spending very much time with you…”

Roy smiles at the sweet blonde. “You don’t need permission to invite someone into your own home, love. Also, you’re spending your time with your brother and almost sister-in-law who are planning their wedding. It’s a precious time and it’s always okay for you to spend time with family. Or anyone you want to.”

Roy curls a strand of Ed hair around his finger. “I would rather you be enthusiastic about things that don’t involve me, than stifle your fun just for my attention.” Roy releases the strand and runs his hand down Ed’s shoulder. “I know you’ll come back to me, and that’s all that matters.”

Ed’s eyes are round and full of adoration. “I’m trying to figure out how I got so lucky. Sometimes I just feel like… Everything is perfect.”

Their relationship was far from perfect and they both know that. They still argue a lot, Roy ends up working late most nights, Ed doesn’t get to help people as much as he’d like to, yet it was the happiest Roy had ever been in his life.

Al and Winry decided to hold their wedding in Resembool, and while the ceremony was small, the celebration after was large, with many of the people the brothers had gotten to know and all the people Winry had helped.

Pinako walked Winry down the aisle, while Cal was the ring bearer, and Hohenheim married them. When Winry jumped into the first kiss as a married couple, Ed whistled and then winked at Roy.

At the reception, Maes is taking a million pictures, but for once no one is complaining. Ed and his father cried more happy tears than the bride and groom.

While Ed was dancing with Winry, Hohenheim sat down next to Roy and gestured to. “It’s so strange to think of them as all grown up and adults now.”

Roy sipped his drink and smiled. “They may be adults, but they act more impulsive and kind now than they ever did as teenagers.”

Hohenheim chuckled, looking at the blonde brothers swinging Winry around in circles. “I don’t think that’s likely to change anytime soon.”

Roy’s eyes grew fond at the scene. “I sure hope not.”

“I know I never provided much happiness or love in my sons’ lives, and I regret that, but I think what’s important now is that they are happy and in homes filled with love, and I’m confident about that they have that.”

This caused Roy to blush until Ed asked him to dance, and the blonde insisted on leading even though he couldn’t dance worth shit. Roy teased that Ed could step on his toes if would help.

They stayed at Elric’s old house which had a weird sense of nostalgia, but this time Ed got to show him all the places the brothers spent their childhood.

Before they went home they spent a few days in Ishval. Cal showed them everything that had been rebuilt, and brought Roy to near tears at seeing Ed play with the Ishvalan children for the whole afternoon.

On the train ride back to Central Roy asked him, “Do you think about having kids? Like, one day?”

Ed looked up at him in surprise, he had been leaning his face in hand, hair in a bun and reading. “Um, not really. I love kids, but I think I work better in the uncle-slash-big-brother role. I don’t really want to be responsible for how a whole person turns out.”

“Besides…” Ed sucks in his cheeks.

“Besides what?” Roy asks curiously.

Ed sighs looking out the window. “Well kids just wouldn’t work for us, right? I travel too much, and you work too late, and we’re both too paranoid to ever leave a kid alone for too long.” Ed looked back to Roy anxiously.

“Well you’re not wrong. I don’t want to get in the way if that’s what you-“ Ed grabbed his hands before he could finish.

“Roy I want _you._ Everything else is just gravy.”

“Okay then.” Roy replies quietly, _happily_.

They both have nightmares, but they’ve become experts in comforting each other. Roy would always stroke Ed’s hair and Ed would talk about anything and everything that distracted him until they could go back to sleep. Their kitchen was stocked full of teas and hot chocolate just in case it was a night they weren’t going to be able to sleep either way.

It takes some time, but it’s one of these late nights that they’re sitting together in bed, that Roy just spilled some tea on the sheets and himself, which caused several choice curse words to come out of his mouth. After a moment, he noticed Ed just smiling, hair in the messy braids he usually sleeps with.

“I love you so much, all the time.” Ed says sweetly.

“Ed, I love you too, but could you help me clean up this tea?” he started to get up, but Ed stopped him.

“Hold on this will just take a second.” Ed reaches into the drawers of their side table, and faces away from Roy for his next words. “I made it with Alchemy. I thought it was appropriate enough. I’m hoping you’ll make mine if-“

Ed turns around, grinning with a deep blush across his face, in his palm he is holding a ring. “If you’ll marry me?”

Roy looks at the ring for a full second and then grabs Ed kissing him with way too much energy for it being 3:30am. It made Ed laugh and when he finally broke away Roy said, “Yes.” Of course.

His ring was gold, with a slice of shifting orange/red stone that reminded him of fire down the center, and the ring he made for Ed was the same style except silver with yellow stone in the center.

No one at their work was surprised to see their rings, but Hawkeye offered them a congratulations anyways with a large smirk when Roy is caught staring at his ring with gooey eyes.

They don’t get have a wedding, they just sign a piece of paper, and went on a vacation at a large cabin in the middle of nowhere for an entire month, bringing Al, Winry, and they’re newborn son with them along with the Hughes family and even Cal and Pinako for two of the weeks.

When Roy had first met Ed he had been feeling for years that life was just too cruel, and he was never going to wake from the nightmares existing. But here, now, waking up with his husband complaining about how early it was, or seeing him hold his nephew in his arms and smile brightly, well… He feels like life is finally being wonderfully kind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed! (please kudos or comment if you did <3) I am working on some more stuff, another multichapter is in the air and a oneshot thats already 3k words and not even halfway done, so stay tuned! thanks!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I'd love to know your thoughts after the first chapter since I've never written a multichapter before! <3


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